# Complex number arithmetic

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If the macro constant `__STDC_NO_COMPLEX__` is defined by the implementation, the complex types, the header `<complex.h>` and all of the names listed here are not provided. | (since C11)

The C programming language, as of C99, supports complex number math with the three built-in types double _Complex, float _Complex, and long double _Complex (see `_Complex`). When the header `<complex.h>` is included, the three complex number types are also accessible as double complex, float complex, long double complex.

In addition to the complex types, the three imaginary types may be supported: double _Imaginary, float _Imaginary, and long double _Imaginary (see `_Imaginary`). When the header `<complex.h>` is included, the three imaginary types are also accessible as double imaginary, float imaginary, and long double imaginary.

Standard arithmetic operators +, -, *, / can be used with real, complex, and imaginary types in any combination.

A compiler that defines `__STDC_IEC_559_COMPLEX__` is recommended, but not required to support imaginary numbers. POSIX recommends checking if the macro _Imaginary_I is defined to identify imaginary number support. | (since C99) (until C11)
Imaginary numbers are supported if `__STDC_IEC_559_COMPLEX__` or `__STDC_IEC_60559_COMPLEX__`(since C23) is defined. | (since C11)

Defined in header ``<complex.h>``
##### Types
imaginary (C99) | imaginary type macro (keyword macro)
complex (C99) | complex type macro (keyword macro)
##### The imaginary constant
_Imaginary_I (C99) | the imaginary unit constant i (macro constant)
_Complex_I (C99) | the complex unit constant i (macro constant)
I (C99) | the complex or imaginary unit constant i (macro constant)
##### Manipulation
CMPLXCMPLXFCMPLXL (C11)(C11)(C11) | constructs a complex number from real and imaginary parts (function macro)
crealcrealfcreall (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the real part of a complex number (function)
cimagcimagfcimagl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the imaginary part a complex number (function)
cabscabsfcabsl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the magnitude of a complex number (function)
cargcargfcargl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the phase angle of a complex number (function)
conjconjfconjl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the complex conjugate (function)
cprojcprojfcprojl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the projection on Riemann sphere (function)
##### Exponential functions
cexpcexpfcexpl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the complex base-e exponential (function)
clogclogfclogl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the complex natural logarithm (function)
##### Power functions
cpowcpowfcpowl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the complex power function (function)
csqrtcsqrtfcsqrtl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the complex square root (function)
##### Trigonometric functions
csincsinfcsinl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the complex sine (function)
ccosccosfccosl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the complex cosine (function)
ctanctanfctanl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the complex tangent (function)
casincasinfcasinl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the complex arc sine (function)
cacoscacosfcacosl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the complex arc cosine (function)
catancatanfcatanl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the complex arc tangent (function)
##### Hyperbolic functions
csinhcsinhfcsinhl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the complex hyperbolic sine (function)
ccoshccoshfccoshl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the complex hyperbolic cosine (function)
ctanhctanhfctanhl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the complex hyperbolic tangent (function)
casinhcasinhfcasinhl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the complex arc hyperbolic sine (function)
cacoshcacoshfcacoshl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the complex arc hyperbolic cosine (function)
catanhcatanhfcatanhl (C99)(C99)(C99) | computes the complex arc hyperbolic tangent (function)

### Notes

The following function names are potentially(since C23) reserved for future addition to `<complex.h>` and are not available for use in the programs that include that header: cerf, cerfc, cexp2, cexpm1, clog10, clog1p, clog2, clgamma, ctgamma, csinpi, ccospi, ctanpi, casinpi, cacospi, catanpi, ccompoundn, cpown, cpowr, crootn, crsqrt, cexp10m1, cexp10, cexp2m1, clog10p1, clog2p1, clogp1(since C23), along with their -`f` and -`l` suffixed variants.

Although the C standard names the inverse hyperbolic with "complex arc hyperbolic sine" etc., the inverse functions of the hyperbolic functions are the area functions. Their argument is the area of a hyperbolic sector, not an arc. The correct names are "complex inverse hyperbolic sine" etc. Some authors use "complex area hyperbolic sine" etc.

A complex or imaginary number is infinite if one of its parts is infinite, even if the other part is NaN.

A complex or imaginary number is finite if both parts are neither infinities nor NaNs.

A complex or imaginary number is a zero if both parts are positive or negative zeroes.

While MSVC does provide a `<complex.h>` header, it does not implement complex numbers as native types, but as structs, which are incompatible with standard C complex types and do not support the +, -, *, / operators.

### Example

Run this code

    #include <complex.h>
    #include <stdio.h>
    #include <tgmath.h>

    int main(void)
    {
        double complex z1 = I * I;     // imaginary unit squared
        printf("I * I = %.1f%+.1fi\n", creal(z1), cimag(z1));

        double complex z2 = pow(I, 2); // imaginary unit squared
        printf("pow(I, 2) = %.1f%+.1fi\n", creal(z2), cimag(z2));

        double PI = acos(-1);
        double complex z3 = exp(I * PI); // Euler's formula
        printf("exp(I*PI) = %.1f%+.1fi\n", creal(z3), cimag(z3));

        double complex z4 = 1 + 2 * I, z5 = 1 - 2 * I; // conjugates
        printf("(1+2i)*(1-2i) = %.1f%+.1fi\n", creal(z4 * z5), cimag(z4 * z5));
    }

Output:

    I * I = -1.0+0.0i
    pow(I, 2) = -1.0+0.0i
    exp(I*PI) = -1.0+0.0i
    (1+2i)*(1-2i) = 5.0+0.0i

### References

Extended content
C23 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:2024): 6.10.8.3/1/2 `__STDC_NO_COMPLEX__` (p: TBD) 6.10.8.3/1/2 `__STDC_IEC_559_COMPLEX__` (p: TBD) 7.3 Complex arithmetic `<complex.h>` (p: TBD) 7.25 Type-generic math `<tgmath.h>` (p: TBD) 7.31.1 Complex arithmetic `<complex.h>` (p: TBD) Annex G (normative) IEC 60559-compatible complex arithmetic (p: TBD) C17 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:2018): 6.10.8.3/1/2 `__STDC_NO_COMPLEX__` (p: 128) 6.10.8.3/1/2 `__STDC_IEC_559_COMPLEX__` (p: 128) 7.3 Complex arithmetic `<complex.h>` (p: 136-144) 7.25 Type-generic math `<tgmath.h>` (p: 272-273) 7.31.1 Complex arithmetic `<complex.h>` (p: 391) Annex G (normative) IEC 60559-compatible complex arithmetic (p: 469-479) C11 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:2011): 6.10.8.3/1/2 `__STDC_NO_COMPLEX__` (p: 177) 6.10.8.3/1/2 `__STDC_IEC_559_COMPLEX__` (p: 177) 7.3 Complex arithmetic `<complex.h>` (p: 188-199) 7.25 Type-generic math `<tgmath.h>` (p: 373-375) 7.31.1 Complex arithmetic `<complex.h>` (p: 455) Annex G (normative) IEC 60559-compatible complex arithmetic (p: 532-545) C99 standard (ISO/IEC 9899:1999): 6.10.8/2 `__STDC_IEC_559_COMPLEX__` (p: 161) 7.3 Complex arithmetic `<complex.h>` (p: 170-180) 7.22 Type-generic math `<tgmath.h>` (p: 335-337) 7.26.1 Complex arithmetic `<complex.h>` (p: 401) Annex G (informative) IEC 60559-compatible complex arithmetic (p: 467-480)

### See also

C++ documentation for Complex number arithmetic

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